Great expectations

STOCKTON - T.J. Wallace arrived at Pacific with the right attitude, ready to make an impact.

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By Jagdip Dhillon

recordnet.com

By Jagdip Dhillon

Posted Jun. 13, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By Jagdip Dhillon

Posted Jun. 13, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

STOCKTON - T.J. Wallace arrived at Pacific with the right attitude, ready to make an impact.

Wallace and his new teammates are on campus this week to begin summer workouts, which include two hours a week of organized team activities and weight training, and to attend summer school.

The 2013-14 season is nearly five months away, but new coach Ron Verlin and his staff are getting their first glimpse at their newcomers - Wallace, Modesto Christian High teammate Raymond Bowles and City College of San Francisco transfer Gabriel Aguirre. German point guard David Taylor will join the team in July.

Wallace comes with the most intrigue and highest expectations of the new arrivals as The Record's two-time player of the year in 2011 and 2012 for McNair High before he transferred to Modesto Christian for his senior season.

"It's exciting because we recruited one of the best players to come out of Stockton in recent years and got him to Pacific," said Verlin, whose son, Nate, played youth ball with Wallace. "I see him playing all three positions (point guard, shooting guard and small forward). Where will he fit, that I don't know yet, but I think he'll play right away."

Verlin believes Wallace will embrace the expectations and burden that comes with playing college ball in your hometown, because "he's such a quality young man." Wallace said he's already learning how to juggle basketball and academics in his first week on campus, but said having Bowles making the transition with him has made it easier.

"We want to just come in, keep our mouths closed and work hard," Wallace said. "We're freshmen, so we have to stick to the script."

Wallace and Bowles developed their chemistry as teammates last season, leading Modesto Christian through a 29-4 campaign that included a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship and a loss in the CIF Open Division State Championship quarterfinals. Wallace played point guard for the Marauders and averaged 15 points per game, while Bowles played on the wing and led the team at 16 points.

"We really bonded throughout the season," Bowles said. "As we got pushed harder, we started to mesh and playing together wasn't hard at all."

Verlin said Wallace, who at 18 is 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, is "strong, physical and has a man's body," which should hasten his development. Bowles still is 17, but he is 6-foot-5 and has surprised Verlin so far with his array of talents.

"He shoots better than I anticipated and he's a much better athlete," Verlin said. "His up side is way higher than I anticipated."

Senior forward Ross Rivera said Wallace and Bowles have impressed with their athleticism and ability to finish in the lane during limited spurts in practice. Wallace, a left-hander, showed the ability to create separation and get his shot off in practice, but both struggled in defensive drills.

Wallace said he's enjoying the process.

"It's just basketball," he said. "You just work hard and try to get better every day."